The 10 best players in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations

The countdown has begun for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament that starts in December 2025 and runs until January 2026.

Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Victor Osimhen... A host of footballers will be vying for the title of best player of the tournament. Here's a look back at the best players in the history of the AFCON.

The name may be unfamiliar to you, but Ahmed el-Mohammadi was one of the key figures in Egypt's golden generation, which won the AFCON in 2008 and 2010. In 2017, he led his team to the final but lost 2-1 to Cameroon. An impeccable man in the shadows who is all too rarely put in the spotlight.

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Although he has only played in two AFCON's, it is impossible to overlook the only African Ballon d'Or winner in history. Now president of his country after his career, George Weah is a man apart, a legend in every respect.

He has only won one AFCON in his career (2015), but Yaya Touré is still of the most emblematic players of the tournament with six appearances.

Touré captained his country in 2015, and his physical and technical prowess was remarkable during that edition of the AFCON. Under the guidance of Hervé Renard, he was able to show his full potential.

If you're looking for a virtuoso, someone who brings the fans to the stadium, Jay-Jay Okocha is your man. The Super Eagles' dribbling attacking midfielder traumatised opposing defences for almost 15 years.

Okocha won his first AFCON in 1994, and came close to winning a second, with a final in 2000 and three semi-finals in 2002, 2004 and 2006. In short, a Nigerian legend.

He may never have won the AFCON, but Michael Essien remains an absolute legend of the tournament. He was a unique, all-round player who dazzled Africa with his talent every time he featured. With three semi-final appearances and one defeat in the final, he came very close to giving the Black Stars a fifth title.

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With 11 goals, Didier Drogba is one of the all-time top scorers at the AFCON. However, the former Chelsea star striker has never won it, despite two finals in 2006 and 2012.

Former playmaker Abedi Pelé Ayew is not only an Olympique Marseille legend, but also a Black Stars legens. Winner of the AFCON in 1982 and three-time African Ballon d'Or winner, Pelé is undeniably one of the greatest players in the history of the tournament.

Like his team-mate El-Mohammadi, it is Essam El-Hadary's consistency and longevity that have earned him a place on this list. A legendary goalkeeper for Egypt for 24 seasons, he won the AFCON four times, in 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and finished runner-up in 2017.

In second place, we find one of the most impressive footballers of his generation: Roger Milla. Best player and top scorer in 1986 and 1988, he won the AFCON in 1984 and 1986.

More than his goals, it was his dancing and his smile that left a lasting impression. Milla was an exceptional player, yes, but also a golden human being.

With 18 goals, Samuel Eto'o is the all-time top scorer in the history of the AFCON. The Cameroonian has won the trophy twice, in 2000 and 2002.

Along with Drogba, Eto'o was the African star of the 2000s, a fine, lethal, technical striker capable of scoring in any situation. Quite simply, the best player in the history of the AFCON.

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